Verifi, but don't nullify

Feb. 23, 2013

Written by

Helen Middlebrooke
For Pacific Daily News

It had to happen. Last week, it was announced that the Verifi blood test is now available here. The Verifi test is used to determine if a woman is carrying a baby with Down syndrome (Trisomy 21), Edwards syndrome (Trisomy 18) and Patau syndrome (Trisomy 13).

This non-invasive test, which is said to be extremely accurate for the high-risk group for which it is recommended, is very bad news for unborn babies with Down syndrome.

While some say getting the news about Down syndrome early in pregnancy will help parents better prepare for that child, that is not what happens. When parents get a ...